DAILY- HOMILY

26 June 2016 

13th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Cycle C.   Green.  

1 Kgs 19:16b, 19 – 21 / Gal 5: 1, 13-18 / Lk 9: 51-62

1st Reading: 1 Kgs 19: 16b, 19-21 

And Elisha, son of Shaphat, from Abel Meholah, you shall anoint as prophet in your place. . . So Elijah left.  He found Elisha, son of Shaphat, who was plowing a field of twelve acres and was at the end of the twelfth acre. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak over him.  Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah and said, "Let me say goodbye to my father and mother; then I will follow you."  Elijah said to him, "Return if you want, don't worry about what I did." However, Elisha turned back, took the yoke of oxen and slew them. He roasted their meat on the pieces of the yoke and gave it to his people who ate of it. After this, he followed Elijah and began ministering to him. 

From the 2nd Reading: Gal 5: 1, 13-15 

Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. . . 

You, brothers and sisters, were called to enjoy freedom; I am no speaking of that freedom which gives free rein to the desires of the flesh, but of that which makes you slaves of one another through love.  For the whole Law is summed up in this sentence: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  But if you bite and tear each other to pieces, be careful lest you all perish.

From the Gospel Reading: Lk 9: 51- 53, 57 - 62

As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. He had sent ahead of him some messengers who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for him. But the people would not receive him because he was on his way to Jerusalem. . . .

As they went on their way, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."  Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

To another Jesus said, "Follow me."  But he answered, "Let me go back now, for first I want to bury my father."  And Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Another said to him, I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family."  And Jesus said to him, "Whoever has put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God." 

Reflection

We are on a journey.  Today's readings call our attention to our "ongoing" journey. 

In the first reading from the first book of Kings, the journey continues when Elijah passes on his prophetic task to Elisha to carry on and to ibe the voice of God to the people of Israel. In the second reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians, Paul speaks of our continuing struggle to be truly free, a struggle common to all mankind.  Paul reminds us to work for and preserve our freedom in Christ, which comes from God, and whose achievement is also a journey for us to find and preserve.

In the Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus begins his crucial journey to Jerusalem, the heart and soul of Israel, to meet his death and from which he will rise again. He journeys from Galilee to Jerusalem in fulfillment of his Father's will and plan for him.

The readings help us in our journey of faith which requires that we move out of our comfort zones and our attachments, find freedom and the will of God in our lives.  We journey to free ourselves of whatever makes us unable to respond generously and freely the Lord.

Jesus must have felt fear and anxiety as he journeyed to Jerusalem and Calvary. We see this fear and anxiety as he prayed to the Father and agonized in the Garden before he was arrested by the Jews.  Yet he trusted in his Father's care and love for him.

The Lord invites us to journey with him and to live our lives confident in his trust and love, truly free in Christ.  In doing so, we proclaim that God's kingdom is lived in our lives.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Ruby Jane G. Naval

     Neil Leo M. Castillo

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Luisita R. Chua

     Paterno Luym

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 

  +================================================+

   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

18 June 2016   

Saturday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time        

Green.        

2 Chr 24:17 – 25 / Mt 6:24 – 34

Gospel Reading: Mt 6: 24 - 34

Jesus said to his disciples, "No one can serve two masters; for he will either hate one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the first and look down on the second. You cannot at the same time serve God and money.

"This is why I tell you not to be worried about food and drink for yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important than food and is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest and do not store food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than birds?

"Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it?  Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at the flowers in the fields how they grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his wealth was clothed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass in the field which blooms today and is to be burned tomorrow in an oven, how much more will he clothe you? What little faith you have!

"Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? Or what shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart first on the kingdom and justice of God and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Reflection

In the Gospel reading Jesus teaches us about the necessary "balancing act" in our lives, a very hard, if not among the most difficult, act in our lives.  You may want to call it by other names, e.g. my "choices," "my priorities," or "whom shall I serve?" or "what shall I do?"

Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs.  Big Mac, anyone?  A weekend in Macau or HongKong perhaps?  He forbids that they become objects of severe anxiety, making us their slaves.  

"Set your heart first on the kingdom and justice of God and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself."  

Plainly stated, focus not on the gifts, but solely on the Giver.  And why?  Because the Lord will provide all our needs, especially if we trust in him.  

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Alfred Johnson Gotamco Dy

     Anne Gretchen Choa-Uy

     Lalaine Camiña

     John Paul T. Dy

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     Wilbert Lim & Regina Lim

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Tony Ng Chu Chee (Nov 1, 1919 – Jun 18, 2005)

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the eternal repose of the soul of Bernardo Santiago Sr. 

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 

  +================================================+

   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.